My in-laws came to visit earlier this month and brought with them all of the adorable Christmas crafts that my husband had made when he was a little boy and it made me smile, knowing that it won't be long before our Christmas tree is filled with crafts that are handmade by our boy.

My little boy made his first paper chain last year and it now sits proudly on my in-law's Christmas tree. I know that whenever they look at their tree, they'll think of the grandson they've been blessed with and while I can't speak for the next person, I think homemade gifts are much more personal than store-bought. Knowing how much time and effort someone spent making something just for me makes it more meaningful than any store-bought gift ever could.

Here are four Christmas craft gifts you can make with the kids that won't take a whole lot of time or money but will be loved by whoever you give it to.

  • 1

    Hot Chocolate Mix in a Mug

    My husband and I have made this several times as a gift for various family members and friends, but instead of putting everything into a mug, we made mason jars of hot cocoa mix.

    What you'll need:
    2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
    3/4 cup sugar
    1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
    1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
    1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
    1/8 teaspoon salt

    How to make it:

    Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended. Put some of the mix in a plastic baggie and put the baggie into a coffee mug or small mason jar. Pour marshmallows in the mug or jar to hold the baggie of hot chocolate into the mug.

    ThinkStock
    ThinkStock
    loading...
  • 2

    Cookie Cutter Candles

    This so simple and people will love these fun candles!

    What you'll need:
    Metal cookie cutters (pick ones that can stand up)
    Beeswax
    Crayons (or not, up to you)
    Metal-tabbed tea-light wicks
    Small saucepan
    Clean tin soup can
    Aluminum Foil
    Masking Tape
    Craft sticks (for stirring)

    How to make it:

    Lay a cookie cutter on a piece of foil and put masking tape along the edge of the cutter folding the tape outward so the cutter sits flat on the foil.

    Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water, then fill the tin can with beeswax and put the can into the saucepan. This will create a double boiler effect. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat, using the craft stick to stir the wax as it melts. If you want to add some color to your way, drop in a piece of crayon- whatever color you want.

    Put a metal-tabbed tea light wick at the center of each cookie cutter, then slowly pour melted wax into each cutter. If any wax seeps out the side of the cookie-cutter, let it cook, break it apart and put it back into your tin double boiler and melt it again.

    The wax should completely cool within about 2 hours. Once it does, remove the masking tape and pop them out of the cookie cutter. If the candles don’t come out easily, put them in the freezer for a few minutes until they do.

    ThinkStock
    ThinkStock
    loading...
  • 3

    Hand Print Coasters

    What you'll need:
    Cardstock
    Pencil or chalk
    2 coordinating or contrasting cotton fabrics (washed, dried, and ironed)
    1 package double-sided stiff fusible interfacing
    Iron

    How to make it:

    Trace your little one's hand on a piece of cardstock and cut it out to make a template. Use a pencil or chalk to trace the desired number of coasters on one of the fabrics. Trim the fabric into a rectangle that contains all of your tracings, then trim the second fabric and the interfacing to match its size.

    Following the interfacing package's instructions, fuse it between the two fabrics with an iron (this should only be done by an adult). Cut along the traced lines with scissors and wrap the coasters up for grandma and grandpa!

    ThinkStock
    ThinkStock
    loading...
  • 4

    iScarf

    What you'll need:
    Polar fleece
    Embroidery needle
    Embroidery floss
    Pom-pom balls
    Fabric glue

    How to make it:

    Cut a piece of polar fleece into a long rectangle.  For the pocket, cut a polar fleece rectangle that's about an inch wider than your music player. Next, thread an embroidery needle with embroidery floss and use a running stitch to sew three sides of the rectangle to the scarf. Attach pom-pom ball trim to the ends of the scarf with fabric glue.

    ThinkStock
    ThinkStock
    loading...

More From 98.1 The Hawk